PNP to Human Rights Watch: File cases vs alleged abusive cops

Patrick Quintos, ABS-CBN News

POLICE SAY REPORT NOT ACCURATE

MANILA - The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday urged the Human Rights Watch (HRW) to file cases against cops who according to its report committed abuses in the government's war against drugs.

Carlos said PNP may conduct an internal investigation if HRW would share their findings and evidence.

'Don't generalize'

The PNP spokesperson said 24 incidents cited by HRW do not mean that the whole force was engaged in illegal operations, emphasizing that the international rights group should look at the 48,000 drug suspects they arrested alive.

"Do not generalize... We have the 48,000 people arrested alive," he said.

Carlos also questioned the words used by HRW in its report saying the incidents were "crimes against humanity."

"What is their tipping point? Let's say 24. Is that already a crime against humanity?" he said.

He added that HRW's claim that 7,000 killings were drug-related was not accurate.

HRW said that since Duterte assumed power in July 2016, over 7,000 suspected drug users and traffickers have been killed, but the government is only taking responsibility for about 2,500 of these deaths.

According to Carlos, based on PNP findings on deaths under investigation (DUI), only 682 cases were found to be drug-related and over 800 other cases were "regular crimes happening in the street."

On the killings made during police operations, Carlos said, "In the war against drugs, we do not want the 2,600 getting killed. But we are going to protect ourselves and make sure we are standing and we continue to do our mandate."